The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-07-28
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Weekly Discourse Of the Great
Brooklyn Preacher
subj sci, "Wotering the sheep.
UPreached at the Hnmptons,
Long Js;and.)

(preached at tho hnmptOhss
Long Is;and1
TEXT: we cannot, until all The focks be
gathered together, and til they roll the stone
from The tUefs mouth, then tce Water the
sheep. "--Genes;s xxx, s.
A scene in Mesopotamia, beautifully pas
toral well of water of great value in
that region. The fields around about it
white with three fiocks of sheep lying down
waiting for the watering, hear their bleat-
ing coming on the bright air, and the laughter
of young men and maidens indulging in
rustic repartee. look or and | see other
focks of sheep coming. Meanwhile, Jacob,
ing for wife, comes to the we'll A beauti-
full shepherdess comes to the same we'll Isee
her approaching followed by her fathers
flock of sheep. 1t was memorable
meeting, Jacob married that shepherdess
The Bible account of it is: Jacob
and wept.h 1t has always been mystery
to me what he found to cry about, But be-
fore that scene occurred, Jacob accosts the
shepherds and asks them why they postpone
the slaking of the thirst of these sheep, and
why they did not Immediately proceed to
water them. The shepherds reply to the eff
feet: 1--WE are all good neighbors and, as a
sheep of the neighborhood COME up Besides
that, this stone on the wells mouth is some
what heavy, and several of us take hold of it
and push it aside and then the buckets and
the troughs are filed and the sheep are salts
fled. We cannot, until all the fiocks are
gathered together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth; then we water the
sheep"
Oh, this is thirsty world! Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet, and parch-
ing for the tongue, The worlds great want
is cool, refreshing, satisfying draught We
wander around and we find the cistern empty.
Long and tedious drought has dried up the
worlds fountains but nearly nineteen CEN
turies ago, Shepherd, with crook in the
shape of a cross, and feet cut to the bleeding,
explored the desert passages of this world,
and one day came across well thousand
feet deep, bubbling and bright, and opal.
escent, and looked to the north, and the
south, and the east, and the west, and cried
out with voice strong and musical that
rang through the ages: "Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters!n
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around this Gospel well There are a great
many thirsty souls. wonder why the flocks
of all nations do not gather-why so many
stay thirsty; and while am wondering about
it, my text breaks forth in the explanation,
saying 1--WE cannot until all the focks be
gathered together, and till they roll the stone
from the wells mouth: then we water the
sheep"
If herd of swine come to well they
angrily justle each other for the precedence;
If drove of cattle come to a WELL they hook
each other back from the water, but when a
flock of sheep come, though hundred of
them shall be disappointed, they only express
it by sad bleating; they come together peace
fully. We want a great multitude to
come around the Gospel well. | know
there are those who do not like
crowd-they thinl; crowd is vul-
gar. If they are oppressed for room in
and beIligerent. I'VE We pv'' have had 'pasrh' peopIe
permanently leave our church because many
other people came to it, Not 30 did these
Oriental shepherds. They waited until all the
fiocks were gathered, and the more flocks
that came the better they liked it. And so
we ought to be anxious that all the people
should come. Go out into the highways and
the hedges and compel them to come
in. Go to the rich and tell them they
are INDECENT without the Gospel of Jesus.
TO to the poor and tell them the
affluence there Is in Christ. Go to the blind
and tell them of the touch that gives eternal
illumination. Go to the lame and tell th I'm
of the joy that will make the lame man leap
like hart, Gather all the sheep off of ali
the mountains None so torn OF the dogs,
none so sick, none so worried, none so dying,
as to be omitted. Why not gather a great
flockl All Brooklyn in a flock; all New York
in flock; all London in flock; all the world
in flock. This well of the Gospel is deep
enough to put out the burning thirst of the
twelve hundred million, of the race. Do not
let the Church,by spirit of exclusive
ness, keep the world out Let down
all the bars, swing open all the
gates, scatter all the invitations: "Who-
soever will, let him come" Come, white AMI
black. Come, rel men of the forest. Come,
Laplander, out of the snow Come. Patago-
nian, out of the heat Come in furs. Come
painting under palm leaves. Come one. Come
all. Come now. As at this well of Mesopo-
| tamia, Jacob and Rachel were betrothed SO
| this morning, at this well Of salvation, Christ
our Shepherd viii meet you coming up with
your long focks of cares and anxieties, and
He will stretch out his hand in pledge of His
affection, while all heaven will cry out: "Be-
hold the bridegroom cometh, 60 ye out to
| meet him"
| You notice that this well of Mesopotamia
had stone on it, which must be removed be-
fore the sheep could be watered; and find on
the well OF salvation to-day impediments and
obstacles, which must be removed in order
that you may obtain the refeshment and life
OF this Gospel. In Your case the impediment
is pride of heart You cannot bear to come
TO so democratic fountain; you do not wasit
to come with SO many others 1t is to you
ike wnen you are dry, coming TO Il towI
pump, as compared to sitti in parlor sip
ping out of chased chalice which has just
been lifted from silver salver. Not SC
many publicans and sinners. You want tt
get to heaven, but it must be in Q
special car, with your feet on Turkish
ottoman siid a band OF music on board the
train. You do not want to be in company
with rustic Jacob and Rachel, and to bt
| drinking out of the fountain where ten thou
| sand shpan ha haan 6riplyinp Ia
You will have to remove the obstacle of pride
or never End your way to the well. You vii
have to come as we came, willing to TAXI
the water Of eternal life in any way, and al
any hand, and in any kind of pitcher, crying
out: "Oh, Lord Jesus, am dying of thirst
J Give me the water of eternal life, whether IL
trough or goblet; givo me the water O
eternal life; care not in what 1T comes tt
me-" Away with all your hindrances o
pride from the wells mouth.
Here is another man who is kept back from
this water of life by the stone of an o5durat
heart, which lies over the mouth of the well
You have no more feeling upon this subjec
than if God had yet to do you the first kind
ness, or you had to do God the first wrong
Seated on his lap all these years, His ever
lasting arms sheltering you, where is you
gratitudes Where is your morning and even
ing prayerl Where are your consecrate
livesi say to you as Daniel said to Be
shazzar: 1.-The God in whose hand thy breat
is, and all thy way, thou has not glorified
If you treated anybody as badly as you hav
treated God, you would have made five hur
dred apologies-yea, your whole life woul
have been an apology. Three times day yo
have been seated at Gods table, Spring sun
mer autumn and winter he has appropriated
appareled you. Your health from Him, yo,
companion from Him, your children frol
, Him, your home from him; all the bright su
roundings of your life from Him. o maj
what dost thou with that hard hearth Can
thou not feel one throb of gratitude towar
the God that made you, and the Christ WI
came to redeem you, and the Holy Ghost WI
has all these years been importuning youl
you could sit down five minutes under Il
tree of Saviour's martyrdom, and feel b
warm life-blood trickling on your forehea
: and cheek, and hands, methinks you would z
: some appreciation of what you owe to cTuc
3 fed Jesus.
aHeart Of stone, relent, relent,
Touched by Jesus' cross subdued;
/ Bee HIS body, mangled, rent.
Covered with a gore of blood.
i Sinful soul, what hast thou done?
= Crucfed the eternal Son.
Jacob with a good deal of tug and pn
: took the stone from the wells mouth, so tn
the focks might be watered. And / wou
mr. rflrarr a-l 1f =.